The Toronto Maple Leafs are ready to resume their limbo of a season. The club is hardly a contender, but not bad enough to tank for the first-overall pick.
That said, the Leafs’ purported sell-off at the NHL trade deadline has been rather quiet. The name generating the most press is Bobby McMann. The 29-year-old’s solid season has made him a desirable piece for teams looking to upgrade.
That’s the case of the Edmonton Oilers. But if a piece The Athletic comes to fruition, the idea of trading McMann to the Oilers is downright outrageous, at least for the proposed return.
In the piece, the suggested trade between the Oilers and Maple Leafs involves McMann heading west with the Leafs recouping Edmonton’s 2026 second-round pick and prospect Tommy Lafreniere. While such a return wouldn’t be bad in the grander scheme of things, the Leafs would be better off holding onto McMann.
Up to now, the chatter has been the Maple Leafs seeking a first-round pick for McMann. Given the shortage of quality forwards in this year’s market, McMann should fetch at least a late pick in the first round. However, the Oilers don’t have a 2026 first-rounder. So, why not settle for their 2027 first-round selection?
Even if the Maple Leafs didn’t keep the pick, it’s one they could flip in pursuit of other assets. But that seems to be beyond the scope of what Brad Treliving can see unfolding.
Maple Leafs could do better than Lafreniere
As for Lafreniere, the Maple Leafs could do a lot better. The 19-year-old was the Oilers third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. As such, the Leafs would be trading McMann for a second and third-round pick.
That’s not the most glamorous return. If Toronto can’t fetch a first-round pick, the club could at least push for a prospect commensurate to a first-round selection.
But that’s not the case in this proposed deal. The Leafs are bereft of high-end talent, making it a priority to land a solid prospect if they can’t get high picks.
Ultimately, the Leafs could find better deals out there. The supply on the trade market warrants a higher return for McMann. After seeing what the Colorado Avalanche paid for Brett Kulak on Tuesday, the Maple Leafs should just stick to their guns with McMann. If no one is willing to pay up, Toronto can just hold on to the gritty winger. The philosophy at this point should be to make the team better, not just sell-off pieces for the sake of it.